The Rock-afire Explosion
The Rock-afire Explosion is a American pop and rock band that formed in 1977, consisting of anthropomorphic animals from Florida and three other states. It's classic lineup consisted of Billy Bob Brockali, Looney Bird, Dook LaRue, Fatz Geronimo, Beach Bear, Mitzi Mozzarella, and Rolfe DeWolfe and Earl Schemerle. History Early years The first form of the Rock-afire Explosion was the "Wolf Pack 5" which performed at amusement parks in North America and Japan. It consisted of The Wolfman (Rolfe DeWolfe's older brother), Fatz Geronimo, Dingo Starr (Dook LaRue's father), and Mini Mozzarella (who replaced Queenie the Fox following her death in a car crash). The second form took on the current name, and consisted of Rolfe DeWolfe on cymbal, Ferny Fox (who was later murdered by a Save Our Children supporter for being gay) on drums, Artie Antlers (who later joined the Pizza Time Players) on keyboards and Minimoog, Wordsworth W. Wordsworth the 3rd (simply known as Wordsworth) on electric guitar, Ken "Country" Cal on electric bass guitar, Looney Bird on the "electric xylophone", and Billy Bob Brockali on acoustic guitar. In 1980, the current lineup, consisting of Billy Bob Brockali, Looney Bird, Dook LaRue, Fatz Geronimo, Beach Bear, Mitzi Mozzarella, and Rolfe DeWolfe and Earl Schemerle, was made. Rise to fame The group signed with Polymer Records and released their first album, Gee, Our First Album, in 1982. The album was recorded in 1981 in Auckland, New Zealand at Stebbing Studios. The album was produced by Polymer Records Midwest promotions representative Artie Fufkin, since the band had no money to hire a professional producer. Polymer used the imprint Creative Records to issue the band's first singles and the album, fearing that it would not chart. The band played in the Showbiz Pizza Place dinner theaters from 1980 to the early 1990's. In 1984, Showbiz bought out their competitor, Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza Time Theatre. The band members moved to the booming local high tech industry and car exhaust fumes of San Jose, California to keep up with the Pizza Time Players. After the closure of the Showbiz dinner theaters, The Rock-afire Explosion hired more members and eventually began releasing original material. In 1993, cowbell player Clarice was ordered to leave the band by Fatz over her violent outbursts, due to her severe autism, however, she was able to communicate. Clarice, after briefly dating Pasqually of Munch's Make Believe Band, went back to the band in a fury and violently attacked Fatz. In shock, the band realized they had been discriminating against Clarice, and Fatz was fired from the band. In response, Billy Bob and Looney Bird left. The RAE hired former member and former Pizza Time Player Artie Antlers to replace Fatz, and other former Pizza Time Players Foxy Flanagan and Harmony Howlette to take the place of Billy Bob and Looney Bird. Adria Ardilla, who became the band's creative genius, became the new creative genius of the band, and her goal was to update their signature sound with drum machines and more synthesizers. On April 1, 2006, the band was playing a free April Fools Day concert at a community theater in Bellingham, Massachusetts when the building burnt down after a fan had set a window curtain on fire with a lit cigarette. The band managed to save their equipment from the fire, however, Beach Bear had to have his Fender Jaguar rebuilt following it's near-destruction being thrown out a window. REST TBA! Members Current Billy Bob Brockali Billy Bob Brockali, whose family's namesake is the "Patron Saint of Christian Fundamentalism", was born in 1959 in Bryson City, North Carolina to Betsy "Mama Granbags" Brockali and Miller "Papa Granbags" Brockali. Billy Bob received his first guitar, a 1961 sunburst Kay Value Leader electric guitar, at age 6. Billy Bob was a house guitarist for the Eurovision Song Contest before joining the band. Looney Bird Looney Bird was born in 1969 to an chicken farmer in Ochopee, Florida. Before joining the RAE, Looney Bird took an assortment of odd jobs that included cleaning up gum at The First Academy, marking the football field numbers at the Florida Citrus Bowl; and cleaning the Slippery Slide Falls attraction "cause all these fat, smelly kids had been sh tting and farting into the water on the way down" at Disney's River Country. Looney Bird, when he joined the band, initially played a home-made "electric xylophone" made out of a wooden kids xylophone and a heavily modified Minimoog. Dook LaRue Dook was born in 1963 to Dingo Starr and a French poodle woman named Fifi LaBelle. Dook joined the band after answering to a classified ad in the Orlando Sentinel, The Tampa Tribune, and the Miami Herald announcing auditions: "Drummer murdered by Save Our Children supporter for being gay, need new one. Must have high-pitched baritone-esque voice. Auditions April 5 Cathedral Church of St. Luke, Orlando. RSVP." Four hundred drummers phoned about the ad and 50 auditioned. Dook won, and was made the drummer. Dook wears a spaceman's outfit on stage. In 1989, he released a solo album named Dogpound on Polymer imprint P.S.H.M.S. Industries. He released two other solo albums, Dook LaRue's Tales from the Bathroom, released on Island Records in 2005, and Dookland, released on Polymer in 2016. Fatz Geronimo Fatz (born Pakhirdin Akhun) was born in 1956 in Ürümqi, China to Uyghur parents. When he was a child, he and his parents fled from China for safety reasons due to the Cultural Revolution and settled in Lafayette, Louisiana, United States. He graduated from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette with a degree in music, and held a job at the McDonald’s franchise at Willow and Evangeline Thruway. Fatz is married to Esmeralda, his high school crush, and they live in Baton Rouge. Beach Bear Beach Bear was born in Unalaska, Alaska in 1962. He received his first guitar, a red 1966 La Baye 2x4 "Six", at age 7. Beach Bear's main axe is a heavily modified 1964 Fender Jaguar (which was rebuilt in 2006 after being damaged while the band escaped from a fire at one of their gigs). He also plays the aforementioned red La Baye 2x4 "Six", a 1939 D'Angelico New Yorker archtop guitar modified with volume and tone controls and electrical systems, plus duct tape covering the archtop holes, and a recently acquired Squier Classic Vibe Telecaster '50s Butterscotch Blonde electric guitar. He also uses a Sonovox. Mitzi Mozzarella Mitzi Mozzarella was born in Miami, Florida in April 1970, and was Mini's daughter. Mitzi wears a cheerleader's outfit on stage. Since 1991, she plays a modified Fender Stratocaster. Rolfe DeWolfe and Earl Schemerle Rolfe DeWolfe was born in Athens, Georgia in April 1961. He bought Earl at a craft fair when he was 12. Rolfe is gay and is married to Beach Bear. Clarice Clarice was born in May 1979 and is autistic. She plays a cowbell and, on occasion, electronic drum pedals. Clarice is married to Spinal Tap's Nigel Tufnel. They married in April 2007, and Clarice now uses the surname Tufnel. The American Family Association considered boycotting the two band's label, Polymer, saying Nigel and Clarice's relationship suggests bestiality, but in fear of being sued, the boycott never happened. The two released a solo album, Spacelab in 2013, on Polymer. Cecila Carrotcakes Cecila was born in 1971 and joined the band in 1992 after answering a classified ad the band put in the National Enquirer: "Fatz's tune machine's saxophone setting broke, need actual saxophone player. Must be older than our two girl members. Auditions February 14th San Jose Municipal Stadium, San Jose, California. RSVP." She and four hundred saxophone players phoned about the ad and she and sixty hundred auditioned, including Clarence Clemons of the E Street Band, Nick Brignola (wearing a fire-retardant suit), Minerva Mink (who was arrested following the auditions for sexual assault, again), Jamey Aebersold and Pedro Iturralde. As to why Cecila won the seat rather than Clarence, Beach Bear explained, "Clarence was a human. We wanted anthro animals." She mainly uses a 1965 Selmer Mark VI saxophone outfitted with a Varitone. Cecila has been friends with Uncle Klunk for a long time, and is a open lesbian. She married Roxy of the Country Critters in 2015. Terra CherryBomb Terra was born in 1965 in Harvey Cedars, New Jersey and was a former fluffer for the Chippendales and was also a former member of the Hi-NRG girl group The Doll Girls. Replaced Rolfe's younger brother Bob DeWolfe, who had been killed in a mysterious on-stage explosion during one of the performances of the Rock-afire's 1992 Japanese tour (specifically the performance at the Fukushima Prefectural Culture Center). She was at a massage parlor in Tokorozawa undergoing anal pleasure when Beach Bear walked in, noticed her, and asked her about joining the band. She agreed and performed with the band that night. She is married to American restaurant owner and former actor and musician Mungo McMungo. Adria Ardilla Adria, born in 1968 in Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico, joined the Rock-afire in 1991, after the departure of backup guitarist Callie Schmidt, an anthropomorphic bobcat, who had left the group for missionary work in Tajikistan. A former member of the Brazilian samba rock band Os Melhores Perdedores, Adria was a student at the Maharishi University of Management (beginning at age 17) and a member of American groups such as the art collective Save Our Adults, which performed hard rock music, and the Latin freestyle group Fantasy, a band in which she learned the value of shredding. Her first axe was a black Nady Lightning wireless guitar with an inverted lower horn. Occasionally, she has used a custom red-colored electric guitar with the body from a Hagström Kent PB-24-G electric guitar, an Electro-Harmonix Big Muff (built into the guitar and implanted in the body), two DiMarzio Model J’s, and the neck from Billy Bob's Key Value Leader, seen in many 1990's performances by the band and the band's 2016 performances of "Strain Your Brain" and "Baby Doll" on Yolei. Recently she has used a Rocker RXB-100 stratocaster clone in addition to the Nady and custom red guitar. She is known as the band's "butt monkey", and has been involved in numerous near-death incidents during concerts. At a performance at the Cape Cod Melody Tent in 2004, she nearly died of electrocution, and the RAE settled in court with Nady Systems, the microphone's manufacturer. On the band's 2005 album No More Safety, she performed lead vocals on the first 6 tracks due to the fact that the album was recorded in Mexico, her home country. In 2013, she married Spinal Tap's David St. Hubbins and occasionally uses the name of "Adria St. Hubbins" Former Wordsworth W. Wordsworth the 3rd Wordsworth was born in Athens, Georgia, and played with the band for it's first appearance, as an opening act for Elvis Presley's show at the Orlando Sports Stadium. He also played with the band for it's second appearance, as the opening act for the opera La Gioconda at the Tampa Theatre in Tampa, Florida, United States. During the "La Gioconda opening act gig", opera fans booed the band and threw various items at them, but the band continued playing anyway, claiming that they were playing so loud that they couldn't hear the audience booing them. Wordsworth later starred on Heathcliff and the Catillac Cats and now is married to co-star Hector Marksman. Callie Schmidt Callie was born in 1962 and played with the band as a backup guitarist from 1986 to 1990. She left the band for missionary work in Tajikistan. She is now the lead vocalist of the Scottish pop punk outfit Bobcatz 'n Lozerz. Ken "Country" Cal Ken was born in 1956 in Houston, Texas. He played with the band during their first two performances. He briefly played with the Country Critters in the mid-to-late-80's. Died in a bizarre trainspotting accident in 1999 that the authorities said was "best left unsolved." Artie Antlers Artie was born in 1949, and played grand piano, keyboards, and Minimoog. Played with the band for the first two performances and from 1993 to 1998. He later left and briefly was with the Pizza Time Players. He is married to fellow Pizza Time Player Dolli Dimples, and they live in Paris, France. Ferny Fox The first drummer of the band. Played with the band for the first two performances. Was murdered by a Save Our Children supporter the day after the "La Gioconda opening act gig". Bob DeWolfe Rolfe DeWolfe's brother. He was killed in a mysterious on-stage explosion during one of the performances of the Rock-afire's 1992 Japanese tour (specifically the performance at the Fukushima Prefectural Culture Center). Maurecia Schultz A tigress who played electric bass guitar in the band from 1986 to 1995. Allegedly sold her dialysis machine to pay for her daughter's college degree; presumed dead. Cleopatra Anderson A python who played a Xylosynth with the band from 1989 to 1993. Died while falling off a train as it was entering Santa Fe Depot in San Diego, California, leaving behind what has been described alternately as a "globule" or a "stain". Harmony Howlette A coyote and former Pizza Time Player. She played with the band from 1993 to 1998, playing electric guitar and cigar box guitar. Foxy Flanagan A border collie dog-red fox cross and former Pizza Time Player. She played with the band from 1993 to 1998, playing bagpipes and electric guitar. She mainly played a set of bagpipes with a pipe bag made of a mixture of Tyvek and a cotton-polyester-blend fabric, and a 1962 Hagström Kent PB-24-G electric guitar. Discography * Gee, Our First Album - 1982 (Polymer/Creative) * Love is the New Hate - 1983 (Polymer/Creative) * Gee, We're Live from Japan - 1989 (Polymer) * Countdown! - 1991 (Polymer) * Electromagnetics - 1994 (Polymer) * For Goodness Sakes! - 1997 (Polymer) * Vive la Rock Révolution! Live from Paris! - 1998 (Polymer Handcrafted) * The Gang of Action - 1999 (Polymer) * Carnival Junk - 2000 (Polymer) * Live from the D.C. Armory - 2003 (Polymer Handcrafted) * No More Safety - 2005 (Polymer) * Six Fruit - 2009 (Polymer) * Synare-Snare - 2012 (Polymer) * Forever and Ever Until We Pass Out: The RAE Live from the Maharishi University of Management - 2014 (Polymer) * Testing - 2016 (Polymer) Category:Bands